Thanks guys! Not much to report on the Dora. I've found that I work best when there are no pressing issues on my plate and having to prepare for a meeting at work tonight has been on my mind this week. A new bending tool is enroute so any wing work is going to have to wait until after the flap matter is settled. I spent yesterday thinking ahead and attending to a few small details.
Masking. I bought some Montex masks for this build. The set is intended for two red/white-bellied planes of JV44 but it was chosen because of the national marking crosses.
Dortenmann's Black 1 (W.Nr 21003) and JV44's Red 13 (W.Nr 210240) shared the same size/style crosses, which makes sense with both aircraft being 210xxx series of early Doras produced at the Sorau factory. If the size is right, I can also use the Montex Mask for the "1".
A bonus to this set is a full set of canopy masks. Unlike Eduard, Montex provides masks for the inside frames as well the outside. I usually disregard the inner masks, choosing to instead mask only the outermost frames manually. The black vinyl doesn't work as well as the yellow tape that Eduard uses and I've found that Montex masks have a frustrating tendency to lift on curved surfaces. The flat surfaces of the windscreen should not be a problem so I applied those. Fit was perfect.
I decided to use my older circle cutter to make masks for the wheels.
I like to attach the windscreen to the fuselage prior to painting so that I can ensure a clean joint. While the windscreen is a separate piece, I've used it to trace a mask that can be used when it comes time to paint the fuselage.
The remaining time last evening was spent putting flat spots on the tires to simulate weight effects.
Wow! The level of detailing is incredible!! Very nice work!
